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The possibility of an asteroid walloping the planet Mars this month is whetting the appetites of Earth-bound scientists, even as they further refine the space rock's trajectory. The space rock in question — Asteroid 2007 WD5 — is similar in size to the object that carved Meteor Crater into northern Arizona some 50,000 years ago and is approaching Mars at about 30,000 miles per hour (48,280 kph). picked by AutumnLotus 9 months ago tags asteroid martian impact mars asteroid 2007 WD5 |
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The chance that a rogue mini-world — asteroid 2007 WD5 — will smack into Mars has increased from 1.3 percent to 3.9 percent. In the event of an impact, the head-on collision would take place on January 30th at 2:55 a.m. PST, give or take a few minutes. picked by mitzuzake 10 months ago 1 comments edit related share plime.com |
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The chances of an asteroid smacking into Mars this month are slipping away as astronomers continue to refine its course toward the red planet. 1 comments edit related share scienceThe space rock, an asteroid called 2007 WD5, is now expected to miss Mars by about 18,641 miles (30,000 km). picked by AutumnLotus 9 months ago |
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The asteroid presumed to have wiped out the dinosaurs struck the Earth with such force that carbon deep in the Earth's crust liquefied, rocketed skyward, and formed tiny airborne beads that blanketed the planet, say scientists from the U.S., U.K., Italy, and New Zealand in this month's Geology. picked by AutumnLotus 5 months ago 0 comments edit related share science |
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A newly discovered hunk of space rock has a 1 in 75 chance of slamming into the Red Planet on Jan. 30 picked by maxriter 10 months ago 1 comments edit related share plime.com |
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Astronomers have learned that a recently observed asteroid - one that could potentially hit the Earth - was actually first observed nearly a half-century ago. Researchers at the Minor Planet Center have confirmed work by SETI Institute astronomer Peter Jenniskens that the recently discovered asteroid 2007 RR9 is in fact the long-lost object 6344 P-L. picked by AutumnLotus 1 year ago 0 comments edit related share plime.com |
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Once considered just your average single asteroid, 2001 SN263 has now been revealed as the first near-Earth triple asteroid ever found. The asteroid -- with three bodies orbiting each other -- was discovered this week by astronomers at the radar telescope at the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. picked by AutumnLotus 8 months ago 0 comments edit related share science |
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The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has just begun its science mission, and one of the first targets is Victoria Crater, where the rover Opportunity has just arrived after nearly 1000 sols on Mars. 4 comments edit related share technologyThe photos, using the largest interplanetary telescope ever lofted, are truly amazing. See comments for links to original imagery. picked by Fanatic 2 years ago |
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NASA scientists have discovered what might form some of the weirdest landscapes on Mars, winding channels carved into the Martian surface that scientists have dubbed "spiders," "lace" and "lizard skin." The unusual landscape features form in an area of Mars' south pole called cryptic terrain because it once defied explanation. More pictures picked by AutumnLotus 10 months ago 1 comments edit related share plime.com |
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Astronomers have obtained the first images of an asteroid on course to make its closest approach to Earth on Tuesday, showing the space rock is lopsided. picked by AutumnLotus 9 months ago 2 comments edit related share science |
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An asteroid between Mars and Jupiter has been renamed 7307 Takei in honor of the actor George Takei known for his role as Hikaru Sulu in the original "Star Trek" series and movies. picked by DemureArt 1 year ago 4 comments edit related share entertainment |
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The students at Racine's Prairie School will be able to name the asteroid, temporarily identified as "2008 AZ28," in about four years, according to the Minor Planet Center in Cambridge, Mass., the international authority on known objects in the solar system. 1 comments edit related share science*Geez, I hope they pick a better name. Still, I'd be jazzed. picked by dollyllama 9 months ago |
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An asteroid that's likely as big as several football fields will fly past Earth next week. Astronomers said the space rock will be visible the night of Jan. 29 to amateur astronomers with modest-sized telescopes. picked by AutumnLotus 9 months ago 1 comments edit related share science |
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Sorry folks, I was looking forward to it too, but NASA jumped the gun. 0 comments edit related share plime.comLast update from Autumnlotus here. picked by muppetmaker 9 months ago |
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The mineral composition of a near-Earth asteroid with a slight chance of striking our planet in 2036 has been determined for the first time. By analyzing sunlight reflected off its surface, scientists say the asteroid Apophis is a "good match" for a rare type of stony meteorite known as a type LL chondrite. picked by AutumnLotus 12 months ago 3 comments edit related share plime.com |
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Scientists had inside intelligence that a chunk of rock and metal, roughly 1,300 feet wide, was hurtling toward a possible collision with the most populated swath of Earth—Europe, India, and Southeast Asia. Furiously crunching numbers on their computers, the researchers put the odds of impact in the year 2029 at exactly those of hitting the number in a game of roulette: 1 in 37. picked by AutumnLotus 11 months ago 1 comments edit related share plime.com |
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NASA is looking at the possibility of using the Orion crew vehicle now under development for a mission to an asteroid. It won't happen for ten or more years (unless there is an Armageddon-type need), but it is a worthwhile idea from both science and economic perspectives. picked by Fanatic 2 years ago 0 comments edit related share technology |
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The explosion that caused such incredible forest devastation at Tunguska a century ago in Siberia may have been caused by an asteroid only a fraction as large as previously published estimates, new supercomputer simulations suggest. picked by mutil8or 4 months ago 0 comments edit related share science |
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The news that an asteroid will pass close to Earth in 2036 prompted a group of scientists to recommend Saturday that the United Nations arrange an international space mission to deflect the threatening space rock. France, however, immediately issued a statement urging restraint against “a seemingly lovely space rock we know nothing about,” and claimed that the United States was behind... read full post picked by Potfry 2 years ago 5 comments edit related share plime.com |
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A good-sized asteroid sailing past our planet right now turns out to be two giant rocks doing a celestial jig. 5 comments edit related share scienceThe setup, catalogued as 2008 BT18, was thought to be nearly a half-mile wide after its discovery by MIT's LINEAR search program in January. Nothing else was known about it. picked by AutumnLotus 3 months ago |
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The fiery demise of a fifth rocky planet in our Solar System might have led to a flurry of asteroid impacts that pockmarked the Moon and Earth billions of years ago. picked by AutumnLotus 11 months ago 4 comments edit related share plime.com |